Chocolate Milkshake

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/22/24
Tested by
Renae Wilson
Photo of Renae E. Wilson
Tested by Renae Wilson
Renae has certifications in both Pastry Arts and Culinary Arts from the Institute of Culinary Education and works as a private chef and caterer, recipe tester and developer, and food writer. Renae has written and developed recipes for Rachael Ray In Season, the Kitchn, Food52, and more.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Yield: 3 cups

Nothing beats a creamy, thick chocolate shake alongside a nice burger and fries. But you don't have to go to a fast-food joint to get a great milkshake. With only three ingredients (milk, ice cream, and chocolate syrup) our chocolate milkshake is an exceptional treat, topped with a nice dollop of whipped cream.

Make sure to use high-quality ingredients. Whole milk will give the richest taste; a quality full-fat ice cream made with a few simple ingredients (no additives or thickeners) will add silky texture; and good chocolate syrup will give your shake the perfect flavor. Use nice dark or milk chocolate for the shavings.

Use our recipe as a milkshake base and add other toppings, like crushed cookies, toasted marshmallows, or candy bars. Check out all our suggestions below.

Chocolate milkshake in glass jars with handles, garnished with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and shaved chocolate

The Spruce Eats / Loren Runion
What You'll Need to Make This Chocolate Milkshake Recipe
SES-Group1-Rachel-Knecht
A Great Ice Cream Scoop
Commerce Photo Composite
A Zippy Blender
Whipped Cream Dispensers
A Handy Dandy Whipped Cream Dispenser

"Great, straight forward sweet treat. Perfectly primed for the addition of booze." —Renae Wilson

Chocolate Milkshake Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 cups vanilla ice cream

  • 1/2 cup whole milk, cold

  • 1/4 cup chocolate syrup

  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips, optional

  • Whipped cream, garnish

  • Shaved chocolate, garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for chocolate milkshake recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Loren Runion

  2. Place the ice cream, milk, and chocolate syrup into the blender. If using chocolate chips, add those as well. Be mindful that the harder the ice cream is, the better, as the blending process can liquefy the ice cream too much and make the milkshake too thin.

    Ice cream, chocolate chips, and chocolate syrup added to blender

    The Spruce Eats / Loren Runion

  3. Blend the ingredients until completely smooth.

    Blended milkshake ingredients with a smooth, creamy consistency

    The Spruce Eats / Loren Runion

  4. Pour into your glasses immediately, top with whipped cream, and decorate with shaved chocolate. Enjoy!

    Milkshake in glass jar with handles, topped with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and shaved chocolate

    The Spruce Eats / Loren Runion

Other Fun and Delicious Flavors

Using our recipe as your base, here are a few suggestions for other decadent milkshakes:

  • Mocha: Replace half of the milk with cold, strong, freshly brewed coffee for a milkshake with a zing of caffeine. Add chocolate-covered coffee beans on top of the whipped cream.
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter: Add a quarter cup of creamy peanut butter and more milk if the milkshake comes out too thick. Decorate with chocolate peanut butter cups.
  • Nutella: Add a quarter cup of Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread and decorate with cookie straws.
  • Chocolate-Oreo: Toss in a cup of Oreo cookies before blending. Decorate with two whole Oreo cookies and a maraschino cherry.
  • S'more: Toast five marshmallows under the broiler, cool-off, and toss in with the other ingredients. Blend and serve with crumbled graham crackers and a few extra toasted marshmallows. Decorate with shaved chocolate or dust with cocoa powder.
  • Chocolate Candy: Add a tablespoon of caramel sauce, 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter, and then top the shake with chopped up Snickers, Kit-Kat, Three Musketeers, or any chocolate candy bar of your liking.
  • Chocolate-Mint: Replace the chocolate syrup with homemade chocolate-mint syrup and use chocolate-mint-chip ice cream instead. Decorate with mint leaves.
  • Vegan: Make it vegan by simply replacing the ingredients with dairy-free products like almond, coconut, or oat milk, soy- or nut-based ice cream, and vegan whipped cream. Use a vegan cocoa powder and additional maple syrup, date syrup, or stevia if needed. If you want to skip the ice cream altogether, use ice cubes to thicken your milkshake and simply blend the non-dairy beverage with cocoa powder and the sweetener of your choice.

What to Do With Leftover Milkshake?

Although unlikely, you might have some extra milkshake in your blender. Milkshake doesn't keep well after it has been blended because it will lose its texture. Instead of throwing it away:

  • Fill ice pop molds with the delicious concoction. Freeze and enjoy at any time.
  • Freeze the leftovers in an ice cube tray and blend those again with additional milk when ready for another sweet treat.

How Can I Thicken a Milkshake?

If you like a very thick, eat-with-a-spoon kind of milkshake, remember to:

  • Add ice when blending the ingredients.
  • Always use full-fat ingredients.
  • Replace half of the milk with heavy cream.
  • Replace the chocolate syrup with fudge.
  • Add a frozen banana into the mix.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
415 Calories
17g Fat
58g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 415
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 22%
Saturated Fat 10g 51%
Cholesterol 64mg 21%
Sodium 159mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 58g 21%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 50g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 1mg 4%
Calcium 243mg 19%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 427mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)